skip to main content
Logo du site, une chouette sur une branche, dessinée par Jean Paulhan
Jean Paulhan
SEARCHCONTENTSFR
cover of the magazine Le Spectateur, first year, n° 3, of June 1, 1909

René Martin-Guelliot to Jean Paulhan, 1912, 2

15.12.12

My dear friend,

I have received your letter and your manuscripts (*). I am quite happy with these new notes; the sentences included in the arguments will be of service to me. I will talk to you about the two again at the end of this letter.
I have in fact thought about it, and talked with Mr. P. [and] O.C., on the subject of the periodicity and composition of the issues, drawing inspiration from your observations, reduced in the sense that you indicated to me. For the periodicity, I have almost completely returned to the idea of ​​the month (in the radical and material impossibility of the 15th) which will also be much more consistent with the monographic, clinical, exegetical character, not current, but fitting into it, and rubbing shoulders with it, which we now intend to give to the Spectator. Because on this point I believe that the case is heard. Since your letters I have had new testimonies in favor of short articles; the objection you made to them will be very reduced by the fact of the periodicity reduced to the month. And this is indeed the expression of the [Mai] spectacular spirit of us all. Nothing will prevent 2 articles from you or me, 1 from Collet per year (this is what is happening now) a little longer, without prejudging anything about the outsiders. As for the other difficulty (the one that you expressed by the triple staircase diagram), a very accurate observation, we will remedy it with very careful conclusions. — The 1st issue of 1913, thus conceived, is relatively advanced: it will appear before the end of January; on the contrary the last issue of 1912, following the [press] of the printers, will not appear until January. There will therefore be little interval. I therefore think that you will not have any problem with me keeping your new notes for the 1st of 1913 when they will look very good in the landscape. Personally I care a lot about it.
I only half like the latest 1912, but it's too advanced, and it will have some use. It is composed (probably only) of repetitions of articles grouped into series of similar subjects. Repeated and not summarized at all. Here then is what I would ask you for the arguments. Certainly what you sent me [sic] is reminiscent of the articles or notes. But as others' articles will be treated at greater length, there will be a lack of symmetry. On the other hand, I do not want to redo your articles, which are too delicate: would you then send me a copy of each of the most important issues on your subject, marking with 1 or 2 lines in the margins the passages explaining the idea of ​​the article.
So I ask you 2 things:

  1. Return of your grades at the end of January.
  2. Annotated numbers

As for the program for the 1st of 1913, please further extend the truce that I am breaking myself so that I can then respond to you with more freedom of mind when I have finished this last 1912.

Yours sincerely, R.M.G.

(*) By designating them this way on the envelope you would have saved 10 cents. on the port and 15 on the recommendation.